The History of Automation at Betzold: Automation as the Driving Force Behind Small and Mid-Sized Companies

There is enormous potential for automation in warehousing and logistics to empower small and medium-sized companies. Automation saves time, fuels growth and facilitates needs-based workforce management. The possibilities are endless, and the technical advances are rapid. However, warehousing and logistics automation, simply for its own sake, is no longer meaningful. To be truly successful, you need to see the bigger picture and plan each individual step in detail.

Arnulf Betzold GmbH, supplier of teaching materials, recognised this at an early stage and rigorously applied automation solutions to its warehousing and logistics operations to drive its consistently positive business development. For almost 20 years, FORTNA has been providing Betzold with long-term, intelligent planning for the future through the targeted use of modern logistics solutions.

From a small business to market leader

In 2006, Betzold faced a challenge: as the company grew, it needed to improve its warehouse and logistics performance.  In response, Betzold commissioned FORTNA’s team of consultants. “Right after the first visit to our warehouse, the FORTNA experts recognised the potential to ‘use simple solutions to achieve great results’—at the time it was not a very flattering review of the situation, but of course they were right,” recalls Managing Director Ulrich Betzold, adding: “At that time, Amazon had just made the transition from bookstore to full-range provider. We realised that speed of delivery would be key to customer satisfaction—that’s why we brought in the logistics experts.”

Also consider secondary processes

When it comes to incremental automation, it makes sense to open up to the technology sector at an early stage, rely on the experience of logistics experts, and take a closer look at secondary processes. “We tapped into immense potential simply by automating the disposal of used cartons when we moved our storage and dispatch system in 2012,” recalls Ulrich Betzold.  “It may seem trivial on the face of it, but collecting the waste cartons, manually dismantling them, and then disposing of them involved enormous distances and labour-intensive processes. By transporting the waste cartons directly into the press container using conveyor technology, we have not only boosted our own efficiency but have also made the employee who was formerly responsible for this task a much happier person, as he now works in a position that is far better suited to his skills.”

No longer a small or mid-sized company, Betzold continues to strengthen its pioneering role with every new project. The extension to the shuttle hall is currently under construction, having been included in the long-term planning at an early stage.  At the heart of the project is the high level of automation for incoming goods and automated downstream processing.  In the future, cartons ready for mail order will be transported through the miniload to a fully automated carton warehouse. From there, they will pass through an automatic labeling system until they are ready for shipping. Tests and commissioning are scheduled for the first quarter of 2025, and plans are already underway for a fully robot-assisted swap body container loading and unloading system.

Driven by long-term planning and a commitment to constantly innovate, Betzold’s logistics success impressively demonstrates how automation not only ensures competitiveness, but also enables companies to become pioneers in their industry.

Published/Updated 10/10/24